Combined mold and shipping-box.



A. B. TINSLEY.

COMBINED MOLD AND SHIPPING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. I914.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

lnventr Witnesses Attorn eys ADDISON B, INsL r, or AN-s E wnsT VIRGINIA.

COMBINED MOLD AND SHIPPING-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application filed November 6, 1914. Serial No. 870,642.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADDISON B. TINsLnY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ansted, in the county of Fayette and State of West Virginia,haveinvented a new and useful Combined Hold and Shipping-Box, of whichthe following isa specification.

This invention relates to a combined mold and shipping box especiallydesigned for use in connection with butter.

It has been the practice heretofore to press butter in molds and 'tosubsequently remove the cakes, wrap them and then ship them to theconsumers. This has been objectionable because of the handling necessaryand because of the further fact that it is a difficult matter to keepdust and dirt from getting under the covering of the butter.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple anddurable box or container in which the butter is to be placed by themanufacturer, the said box or container constituting a mold in which thebutter is shipped to the consumer so that, when the butter'is to beiusedit can be removed from the box or mold in a perfectly sanitary conditionand with an attractive configuration.

A further object is to provide a box or mold of this type from which thebutter can be removed readily without being marred in appearance.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in i the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention havebeen shown.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a section through the device showing thepaper lining in position to receive the butter prior to sealing. Fig. 2is a section through the device with the butter sealed therein ready forshipment. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sealed mold and shippingbox. Fig. 4 is a section on-line A-B Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlargedhorizontal section through one of the clips or fastening devices usedfor holding together the opposed edges of the wall of the box. Fig. 6 isan enlarged section on line CD Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig.6, but showing a slightly modified structure.

Referring to the figures in which similar reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 desig nates the bodyof the box or mold, the same being preferably frusto conical. This bodycan be made continuous or unbroken throughout its circumference or, ifpreferred, and as shown particularly in Figs..3 and i, the said body canbe made of a sheet of metal or other like material the opposed edges ofwhich abut as shown at 2. edges maybe held together in any suitablemanner as by providing one or more clips such as shown in detail inFigs. 3 and 5. Each clip or fastener includes a loop 3 of These 1 springwire and which is substantially U- shaped, this loop being adapted toengage a beveled lug lsoldered or otherwise secured to or formed on thebody. The parts are so proportioned that when the edges of the body arebrought together, each lug l P will be automatically engaged by its loop3 and the edges of the body thus held together as shown in Fig. 3.

The upper and lower ends of the body are adapted to be engaged byclosures 5 and 6 respectively. These closures are preferably in the formof screw caps and threads may be formed upon the body of the box or moldfor engagement by the caps. These threads can be produced by wrapping awire g 7 about thebody and soldering it thereto, as shown in Fig. 6, orby soldering or otherwise securing a threaded collar 8 to the body asshown in Fig. 7. In eithercase, the threads are cut off flush with theedges 2 of the body but are adapted to'match or register when said edgesare brought together.

An interior shoulder 9 is arranged within the body close to the bottomthereof and can be formed by pressing a bead into the body as shown orby soldering a rib upon the inner surface of the body. The shoulder thusprovided is designed to support a die disk or plate 10 which is of adiameter equal to the internal diameter of the body at the shoulder.This plate or disk is so shaped as to produce any desired configurationupon the butter when placed within the box or mold. It is to beunderstood that instead of mounting the die plate or disk detachably onthe shoulder, it can be secured to the body of the container at one ormore points. By making the body of the container of metal it will have acertain amount of inherent resiliency so that, when the loops 3 aredisengaged from the lugs i the body will automatically spring open awayfrom the molded object contained therein. If preferred, however, insteadof forming the body of a single strip held together at its free edges byfastening means such as described, it can be made of two opposedsections connected by spring hinges. This structure is so obvious thatit is not deemed necessary to illustrate the same in detail.

In using'the mold or container herein described, the same is set up byplacing the loops 3 in engagement with the lugs a, inserting the dieplate or disk so that it will bear on the supporting shoulder, and sore.ing the bottom cap 6 into position. A bag preferably formed of paper andwhich has been illustrated at 11, is then inserted into the container,this bag being of such a. size and shape as to fit snugly into thecontainer although projecting a considerable distance above it. Thebutter is then placed in the bag and packed into the mold or container,the pressure on the butter serving to press the papers into anydepressions contained in the die plate or disk so that the butter in thebag will be properly shaped. After the container has'been filled in thismanner, the projecting portions of the bag are folded together onto thebutter, as shown at 12 in Fig. 2. A disk 13 is then placed upon thefolded portion of the bag and upon the upper edge of the wall of thecontainer, after which the top cap 5 is fastened in position. Thecap'binds the disk 13 against the upper edge of the wall of thecontainer so that said disk thus acts as a gasket to seal the container.Vith the butter thus packed and sealed, the container can be placed in asuitable receptacle and shipped with one or more additional containersto the consumer or distributer. It is designed to make these containersof various sizes, for example, making one size to hold one-quarterpound,

another size to hold one-half pound, another size to hold one pound,etc. In shipping the containers a number of them will be placed in acrate in somewhat the same manner as eggs are shipped. hen the butter ispurchased, it will be in perfectly sanitary. condition by reason of thefact that it has not been handled since leaving the factory and it hasnot been possible for dirt or mois. ture to come into contact therewith.Furthermore when the butter is removed it will present an attractiveappearance by reason of the fact that the container in which it has beenshipped constitutes a mold.

. lVhat, is claimed is 1-- 1. A shipping container for butter and thelike, including a frusto-conical body formed in one piece and havingdetachably connected abutting ends, said body having an inwardlyextending annular bead, a die plate resting at its margin upon the head,a closure detachably engaging the lower end of the body and constitutinga support for the die plate, cooperating means upon the abutting endportions of the body for detachably fastening said end portionstogether, and a closure detachably engaging the upper end portion of thebody.

A. shipping container for butter and the like including a one piecesplit body having its upper and lower end portions screw threaded andhaving an inwardly extending annular bead adjacent the lower threadedportion, a die plate rcmovably mounted upon said head, closuresdetachably engaging the upper and lower'threaded end portions of thebody, the lower closure constituting a support for the die plate, lugsoutstanding from the body at one side of the split therein, and springloops extending from the body at the other side of the split anddetachably engaging the lugs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ADDISON B. TINSLEY.

Witnesses:

IVY E. SIMPSON, PHILOMENA A. RooKELLI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. C.

